Durban - Medical negligence claims against the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health - mostly for alleged botched child-births and omissions during pregnancies - is sitting at a staggering R1 billion.
In the latest incident, a first-time mother is considering her legal options after doctors at a state hospital in Durban sent her home with a 9cm-long piece of her placenta allegedly left inside her with several pieces of gauze.
Two days later the piece of placenta fell out of the shocked mother, and she had to seek private medical help on Monday after being told by a gynaecologist that her condition could be life-threatening.
The gynaecologist confirmed the placenta had not been fully removed and that she had an infection.
The mother also complained that nursing staff at the hospital lacked compassion and were rude and arrogant.
Joanne Kondiah, 28, of Asherville, gave birth to a 2.6kg baby girl, Isabella Leah, on Friday afternoon, at King George V Hospital.
She was discharged on Saturday morning.
Instead of celebrating her first Mother’s Day with her newborn baby on Sunday, Kondiah was writhing in pain and trying to control heavy bleeding.
Her father, David Kondiah, said she had gone into labour on Thursday evening.
“They kept her overnight and by 4pm on Friday the baby was born. We were in the hospital at the time and were shocked at how rude and arrogant the staff were.”
He claimed that less than half an hour after the normal birth his daughter, who received more than 25 stitches, was made to sit in a wheelchair - carrying her baby and overnight bag on her lap - while being wheeled to the ward.
“I was shocked. Joanne was in a lot of pain. I offered to carry her bag but the nurse refused. She said I was not allowed in the ward,” David said.
“I was angry and told her it was ridiculous for her to expect Joanne to carry the baby and the bag.”
He said he then forcefully took the bag and carried it to the ward.
“I waited outside the ward. The nurse then told Joanne to fetch the bag from me. She was weak and battling to walk. The pain in her lower stomach was unbearable.”
He said that before she left the hospital she had been given Panado tablets for pain.
“She battled with pain the whole of Saturday,” he said.
“She was also bleeding heavily. The blood had a bad odour. Her pain worsened by Sunday.”
David said at 3pm Joanne screamed for his wife Janet and younger daughter Estelle to come to the bathroom.
“They were all hysterical. Joanne had gone to the toilet and passed what appeared to be a piece of flesh wrapped in gauze. It was about 9cm long.”
He said they were shocked and did not know at the time what it was.
“This was our first grandchild and it was supposed to have been a joyous occasion. But it turned into a nightmare.”
David said they did not have medical aid and relied on state hospitals and clinics.
“The least we expect is to be treated like human beings - to be treated with compassion and care. State nurses and doctors get paid to do a job and they should give it their hundred percent,” he said.
“My daughter might have bled to death or suffered from blood poisoning. This type of treatment is not on. Someone needs to answer for this,” he said. “I will be seeking a legal opinion.”
When alerted to Joanne’s plight, the head of the KZN Department of Health, Dr Sibongile Zungu, immediately intervened, saying the patient’s care was a number one priority.
Zungu arranged for Joanne to be fetched from home by ambulance and taken to Inkosi Albert Luthuli Central Hospital, a specialist facility, for treatment.
She said the patient would be interviewed by a senior manager and the matter would be fully investigated.
Zungu said a total of 165 claims had been registered against the department since before 2006.
“This is cause for concern. But we are taking steps to try and reduce the number of negligence claims,” she said.
Zungu said they were striving to closely follow the core standards applied by the national health department, including infection control and ensuring hospital heads received ongoing leadership and governance training.
“We are also trying to ensure that staff follow all clinical protocols. District specialists have been employed especially in the fields of paediatrics and obstetrics and gynaecology to ensure these protocols are adhered to.”
A strong focus was also being placed on patient safety at medical schools and nursing colleges, Zungu said.
A Durban gynaecologist, who viewed pictures of the placenta and the pieces of gauze, said a retained placenta was life-threatening because of its association with postpartum haemorrhage.
“A retained placenta can lead to excessive bleeding or haemorrhage.
“When the placenta remains attached to the uterus wall, following birth, the uterus is unable to effectively contract to control bleeding,” he said, adding it could also cause infection.
“It is imperative after delivery that a doctor inspects the placenta to ensure it has been completely removed.
“A woman can get seriously ill if the entire placenta is not removed.
“She can bleed to death or suffer from septicemia.”
He said the gauze was also a worrying factor and if left undetected could have caused infection and maybe even death.
The use of gauze during a natural delivery was not a common practice, he added.
“The only explanation I can think of is that they used the gauze when suturing her and forgot to remove it.”
Daily News